CA2647614A1 - Improvements in programmable food service systems - Google Patents

Improvements in programmable food service systems Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2647614A1
CA2647614A1 CA002647614A CA2647614A CA2647614A1 CA 2647614 A1 CA2647614 A1 CA 2647614A1 CA 002647614 A CA002647614 A CA 002647614A CA 2647614 A CA2647614 A CA 2647614A CA 2647614 A1 CA2647614 A1 CA 2647614A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
data
food service
key
service device
programmable
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA002647614A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Nigel Thorneywork
Andrew Brown
Robert Finnis
David Crayfourd
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Welbilt UK Ltd
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2647614A1 publication Critical patent/CA2647614A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05BELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B6/00Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
    • H05B6/64Heating using microwaves
    • H05B6/6435Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus
    • H05B6/6438Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus allowing the recording of a program of operation of the microwave heating apparatus
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24CDOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES ; DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
    • F24C7/00Stoves or ranges heated by electric energy
    • F24C7/08Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24CDOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES ; DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
    • F24C7/00Stoves or ranges heated by electric energy
    • F24C7/08Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
    • F24C7/082Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05BELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B6/00Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
    • H05B6/64Heating using microwaves
    • H05B6/6435Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05BELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B6/00Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
    • H05B6/64Heating using microwaves
    • H05B6/66Circuits
    • H05B6/68Circuits for monitoring or control

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Electric Ovens (AREA)

Abstract

A data key (30, 32), for use with a programmable food service device, comprises: an insertion portion (34, 38), for insertion into a key aperture in said programmable food service device; a data memory for storing data relating to the operation of said programmable food service device; and a data connection portion (36, 40) for connecting directly with a data port on a computer, to allow the computer to access said data memory.

Description

Improvements in Programmable Food Service Systems The invention relates to data keys for use with programmable food service devices, and to food service systems and methods of operating food service systems.
The applicant's earlier international patent applications published under numbers WO
02/23952 and WO 2004/068269 describe programmable cooking systems and programmable food service systems which make use of data keys. These two earlier specifications are incorporated by reference in the present specification in their entirety.
The first four figures of WO 02/23952 are reproduced in the present specification as Figures 1 to 4, and these are described below.

Figure 1 shows a data key (for example Serial Memory Token LCK 16000 manufactured by Datakey, Inc. of 407 West Travellers Trail, Burnsville, MN
55337, USA) and a data key reader 2. The reader 2 is provided with a key aperture 2a adapted to receive the key 1 in order to allow data to be passed to and from the key 1. The key 1 is provided with E2 PROM (electrically erasable programmable ROM) for storing data, and with a number of electrical contacts 1 a for communicating with the reader 2.
Figure 2 shows the key reader 2 mounted in the front panel of a microwave combination oven 5 (for example model EV2451 made and sold by Merrychef Ltd). The oven 5 is provided with a manual control panel 4, door 6, and twenty pre-program keys 3 which allow twenty pre-programmed cooking sequences to be called up at the touch of a button.

Figure 3 shows the electronic components of the oven 5, including the key reader 2, pre-program keys 3, manual control panel 4, together with a display 7, CPU
(central processing unit) 8, switching unit 9, alarm/beeper 10, E2 PROM 11, fan 12, heater 13, and magnetron 14. The E2 PROM 11 exchanges data with the data key 1 via the in known manner.

The data key 1 is provided with program data corresponding to different cooking sequences at a data site, and is then sent to the cooking site for use with the oven 5, and with other programmable cooking devices (not shown), each of which is provided with a key reader 2. Although only the oven 5 is described here, the data key 1 operates with each other programmable cooking device in a similar fashion.

Figure 4 shows a typical arrangement of the memory of the data key 1. The memory is divided into 5 blocks, Bl to B5, each of which contains data corresponding to the cooking sequences of a different type of cooking device. Thus, in the example the blocks Bl to B5 correspond to a microwave combination oven, a microwave oven, a conventional convection oven, a steam combination oven, and a hob respectively.

In the example of Figure 4, each block contains three programs, Pl to P3, each containing the data for a different cooking sequence comprising a number of stages Sl, S2, S3 etc. Each stage contains data specifying the time, power and temperature (or other controllable features) for that stage of the cooking sequence.

The data key 1 can be inserted into any or all of the available cooking devices in order to update the program data for that cooking device. In the example of Figure 4 the key 1 works with any cooking device of the type corresponding to a given block of the key memory. However, further embodiments are possible in which different blocks are provided for different cooking devices of the same type. For example, a given cooking site may have a number of microwave ovens of the same type which require different program data.
WO 02/23952 then goes on to describe the sequence of operations which are carried out, by reference to the flow-charts shown in Figures 5 to 7 of WO 02/23952.

As described in WO 2004/068269, the system is not limited to cooking devices, but can also be used with food service displays, ice makers, ventilation systems and other devices which are involved in the serving of food. Each of these devices may be programmable, and may include a key aperture adapted to receive a data key of the type described above.
In the practical operation of systems of the type described above it is necessary to program the data keys using additional components which will be described below.
This can result in the system being cumbersome, complex and expensive to use in the field.

The invention provides a data key, food service system, and method of operating a food service system, as set out in the accompanying claims.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a known data key and key aperture, as described above;

Figure 2 shows a known microwave combination oven provided with such a key aperture;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of components of the microwave combination oven, as described above;
Figure 4 shows the arrangement of blocks of memory on the data key described above;
Figure 5 shows components which are used in the programming of a data key in the known systems described above; and Figure 6 shows examples of two data keys in accordance with the invention.

Figure 5 shows components which are used in the programming of a data key 20 in the known systems of WO 02/23952 and WO 2004/068269 described above. In order to program the data key 20, a programmer 22 must be connected to a computer, such as laptop 24, by means of a dedicated lead 26. The lead 26 must be plugged into the programmer 22 at one end, and plugged into the laptop 24 at the other end. In addition, the programmer 22 requires a power supply 28 which must be plugged into a mains power outlet, and also plugged into the programmer 22.

Once the data key 20 has been programmed in the programmer 22, it is then removed from the programmer and can be inserted into the key aperture 2a (see Figure 1) of a programmable food service device, such as the programmable microwave combination oven 5 shown in Figure 2. In addition, the process can be reversed, with programs developed on the microwave combination oven 5 (or other food service device) using the control panel 4 being transferred from the data key 20 to the laptop 24 whilst the data key 20 is in the programmer 22.

However, it has been found that when this system is used in the field the need to repeatedly connect the components 22, 26 and 28 is cumbersome, time-consuming, complex, and results in a system which is expensive to produce and maintain.
Figure 6 shows two data keys 30 and 32 in accordance with the invention. The first data key is provided with an insertion portion 34 at one end, and with a USB
(Universal Serial Bus) connector 36 at the other end. The insertion portion 34 is designed to be inserted into a key aperture provided in a programmable food service device, such as the key aperture 2a shown in Figure 1.

The USB connector 36 is designed to be plugged directly into a USB port on the laptop 24, or other computing device, thus avoiding the need for the programmer 22, lead 26 and power supply 28 described above.
When the USB connector 36 is plugged into a PC or laptop, the data key 30 appears to the computer as a removable drive. Data can then be transferred between the computer and the data key 30.

Figure 6 also shows a second data key 32, which has a different type of insertion portion 38 at one end, and a USB connector 40 at the other end. The data key 32 functions in the same manner as the data key 30.

As an alternative to the USB connectors 36 and 40, the data keys 30 and 32 may be provided with IEEE 1394 (or FireWire) connectors, or any other connectors suitable for connecting directly with a data port on a laptop, PC or other computer.

Claims (11)

1. A data key for use with a programmable food service device, the data key comprising:
an insertion portion, for insertion into a key aperture in said programmable food service device;
a data memory for storing data relating to the operation of said programmable food service device; and a data connection portion for connecting directly with a data port on a computer, to allow the computer to access said data memory.
2. A data key as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data connection portion is a USB
connector for connecting directly with a USB port on said computer.
3. A data key as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data connection portion is an IEEE 1394 connector for connecting directly with an IEEE 1394 port on said computer.
4. A food service system comprising:
a data key as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3;
a programmable food service device comprising:
a key aperture adapted to receive said data key;
a key reader arranged to access the data memory of the data key;
a controller arranged to control the food service device in accordance with data read from the data key by the key reader.
5. A food service system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said food service device is selected from the group comprising: an oven, a fryer, a food service display, an ice maker, a grill, a ventilation system, and any combination thereof.
6. A food service system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said oven is selected from the group consisting of: a conventional oven, a microwave oven, a steam oven and any combination thereof.
7 7. A food service system as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, which comprises a plurality of programmable food service devices and/or a plurality of data keys.
8. A food service system as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7, which further comprises a computer having a data port for connecting directly with the data connection portion of the or each data key.
9. A method of operating a food service system comprising at least one programmable food service device, the method comprising:
providing a data key having:
an insertion portion, for insertion into a key aperture in said programmable food service device;
a data memory for storing data relating to the operation of the programmable food service device; and a data connection portion for connecting directly with a data port on a computer, connecting said data connection portion of the data key with said data port on the computer, and transferring from the computer to said data memory instructions for operation of the programmable food service device; and inserting said insertion portion into said key aperture in said programmable food service device, and transferring said instructions from said data memory to the programmable food service device.
10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the data key has the features of claim 2 or 3.
11. A method as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the food service system has the features of any one of claims 4 to 8.
CA002647614A 2006-03-27 2007-03-16 Improvements in programmable food service systems Abandoned CA2647614A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0605922A GB2435941B (en) 2006-03-27 2006-03-27 Improvements in programmable food service systems
GB0605922.4 2006-03-27
PCT/GB2007/050126 WO2008065438A1 (en) 2006-03-27 2007-03-16 Improvements in programmable food service systems

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2647614A1 true CA2647614A1 (en) 2008-06-05

Family

ID=36384103

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002647614A Abandoned CA2647614A1 (en) 2006-03-27 2007-03-16 Improvements in programmable food service systems

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US20090222612A1 (en)
EP (1) EP2000006A1 (en)
JP (1) JP2009531644A (en)
CN (1) CN101467485A (en)
AU (1) AU2007327041A1 (en)
CA (1) CA2647614A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2435941B (en)
WO (1) WO2008065438A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9879865B2 (en) 2015-06-08 2018-01-30 Alto-Shaam, Inc. Cooking oven
US9677774B2 (en) 2015-06-08 2017-06-13 Alto-Shaam, Inc. Multi-zone oven with variable cavity sizes
US10337745B2 (en) 2015-06-08 2019-07-02 Alto-Shaam, Inc. Convection oven
US10890336B2 (en) 2015-06-08 2021-01-12 Alto-Shaam, Inc. Thermal management system for multizone oven
US10088172B2 (en) 2016-07-29 2018-10-02 Alto-Shaam, Inc. Oven using structured air

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE9400564U1 (en) * 1994-01-14 1994-03-03 Wiesheu Gmbh Device for the heat treatment of food
FR2729700B1 (en) * 1995-01-25 1997-07-04 Nofal Dawalibi PROGRAMMABLE ELECTRONIC CLOSING DEVICE
IT1281315B1 (en) * 1995-10-26 1998-02-17 Fiat Auto Spa SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC HANDLING IN PREDETERMINED POSITIONS OF MOTORIZED ADJUSTABLE DEVICES PRESENT ON BOARD A
US6903318B2 (en) * 2000-09-13 2005-06-07 Merrychef Limited Programmable food service systems and method
GB2354603B (en) * 2000-09-13 2002-07-17 Merrychef Ltd Programmable cooking systems
FR2826136B1 (en) * 2001-06-15 2003-11-07 Hager Electro METHOD FOR PROGRAMMING KEY PROGRAMMABLE CLOCKS AND PROGRAMMING KEY FOR CARRYING OUT SAID METHOD
JP2003294237A (en) * 2002-04-03 2003-10-15 Sanyo Electric Co Ltd Cooking device
KR20040026816A (en) * 2002-09-26 2004-04-01 삼성전자주식회사 Microwave oven
DE202005001972U1 (en) * 2005-02-07 2005-04-07 H & M Gutberlet Gmbh Motor vehicle key with a memory chip and a USB connection for connection to a PC or similar, has a memory capacity of 128 MB or more

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20090222612A1 (en) 2009-09-03
EP2000006A1 (en) 2008-12-10
WO2008065438A1 (en) 2008-06-05
AU2007327041A1 (en) 2008-06-05
GB2435941A (en) 2007-09-12
JP2009531644A (en) 2009-09-03
CN101467485A (en) 2009-06-24
GB0605922D0 (en) 2006-05-03
GB2435941B (en) 2008-11-12

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
FZDE Discontinued

Effective date: 20150116